Sleeping Beauty

Eastwood Entertainers presented a fresh and delightfully original telling of Sleeping Beauty, bringing new twists to the traditional story while firmly keeping the heart, humour and warmth of classic Pantomime. From the opening moments, the production kept the audience fully engaged with clever writing, colourful characters, and a spirited company who clearly enjoyed every minute on stage.

Despite the tight playing space at Clarkston Halls, the production made excellent use of staging, movement and transitions. Choreographer Laura Livingstone delivered lively routines throughout, and the ensemble of ten worked with real precision, energy and flair. Cameron, Kezia, Georgia, Josh, Nadia, Ross, Jean, Kayleigh, Iona and Debby all gave great commitment, strong harmonies and supported the story vocally and visually with confidence.  Musical Director Mairi Warren ensured the musical side of the production was consistently strong. The singing throughout was polished and enjoyable, with both principals and ensemble delivering quality vocals that added greatly to the overall impact of the show.  Director Ross Adam clearly had a strong vision for the production, and it paid off. The pacing was sharp, the humour well-timed, and the balance between traditional pantomime and fresh story ideas kept the audience fully invested.

Samantha Brodie made a bold and engaging Aurora, confidently leading the storyline and singing beautifully. As Prince Florian of Paisley, Jordan Sneddon brought charm and playful flamboyant humour that worked perfectly for the role. Iain Denham and Lindsay Frame were well paired as the King and Queen – Iain’s dry comedic delivery contrasted nicely with Lindsay’s bossy and shrill regal matriarch, giving the royal household plenty of character. Ross Weston was wonderfully entertaining as Dame Nurse Nelly, bringing all the expected panto fun, audience rapport and visual humour. Equally strong in audience connection was Jen McNair as Muddles, who felt like a real crowd favourite and never missed an opportunity to delight the audience. Kerry Marshall was excellent as Carabosse – controlled, composed, and commanding every moment she appeared. She struck exactly the right tone as the villain, confident in voice and presence. Supporting her dastardly plans were Lisa Tawse and Gemma Connolly as Snivel and Snide. Together they were comedy gold, bouncing off one another with timing, character and enthusiasm. Their scenes regularly brought big laughs. Ana Marie Castro brought warmth and charm to Fairy Lavender, with Aimee Mejury delighting as the ditzy trainee Fairy Jasmine – a lovely pairing that added lightness and fun to the magical side of the story. A special mention must go to Cheryl Easton as Raven. As Carabosse’s talking pet, she was a true scene-stealer – hilarious, quirky and unforgettable. Her “neddy” style, rave dancing when her name Raven was mentioned, and the ongoing references to “Oor Sadie” had the audience howling, and she made a terrific comedic impression every time she appeared.

Eastwood Entertainers delivered a highly enjoyable and original pantomime that never lost sight of the tradition’s audiences love. Strong performances, clever humour, colourful characterisation and committed direction ensured a fun and memorable production. Congratulations to the entire company, on stage and behind it, for a lively and engaging Panto that clearly delighted its audience.

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